A 2012 report found that Americans who regularly eat lean beef get more protein, zinc, and B vitamins than people who don’t. And a 2010 report estimated that lean beef accounts for about 15 percent of the nation’s protein but only about 4 percent of total fat. “Lean meat is a healthy thing,” says Carol O’Neil, PhD, a coauthor of both reports and a professor of human nutrition and food at Louisiana State University.
You can still fit a daily serving of red meat into a healthy diet. Choose lean cuts (see what the hosts of The Doctors TV suggest) and avoid processed meats (bacon, sausage, bologna—anything preserved with salt, curing, or chemicals). With fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to round things out, enjoying a steak isn’t a high-stakes gamble.
